The federal agency that manages America’s war power has undergone a historic transformation, reverting to the name “Department of War.” Today, Pentagon staff removed the old bronze plaques at the building’s two main entrances and replaced them with newly cast plaques bearing the agency’s new name.
The change follows President Donald J. Trump’s executive order in early September, which officially renamed the Department of Defense back to the “War Department,” the title it held from 1789 to 1947.
New Plaques at Strategic Entrances
The new bronze plaques, approximately 30×20 inches and weighing 60 pounds, were installed at the Pentagon’s two key entrances:
- River Entrance: The main entrance where Secretary Pete Hegseth meets counterparts from allied nations and other senior visitors. Secretary Hegseth personally installed the final screw on the new plaque at the River Entrance.
- Mall Entrance: Facing north toward the National Mall in Washington, this entrance also has the Pentagon’s helicopter landing pads located just outside.
Statement from Secretary Hegseth
Secretary Hegseth said they wanted to replace the old plaques, explaining: “We wanted to change the old plaques so that everyone who walks through this door knows we take this name change very seriously.”
He described the new name as marking “a new era of the War Department focused on winning wars,” emphasizing that the department’s mission is clearly understood, and that troops are sent there to succeed in that mission.
The Secretary stressed that the name “returns to the era when America was founded”: “[We are] reestablishing this agency back to Henry Knox and George Washington and the founding of our nation — to win our nation’s wars when necessary… And of course, the goal has always been to prevent wars first… to establish peace.” Hegseth noted that the new name reflects a renewed understanding of the department: “We are rebuilding; we are restoring deterrence — this is built on ‘America First,’ ‘peace through strength,’ and ‘common sense.’ And now, everyone who walks into this building… will see: this is not just on paper. This is not just a title. This is exactly who we are.”
A Historic Return
When construction of the Pentagon began in 1941 and was completed in 1943, it housed the War Department. In fact, the cornerstone outside the Mall Entrance still bears the inscription “War Department.”
The old plaques, which read “Department of Defense,” had been in place for more than 70 years.
